The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1887-07-21
: JEST A LEETLE DEAF"
a NORTH CAROLINA STORY RY A
NORTH CAROLINA WRITER.

NORTH CAROLINA WRITER
Buncombe County is Visited by a
Stranger--A Corn Shuel>ing and the
Comical Courtship of Jakie Rickson.
Hrttten Especially for The Senttne}
BY on.
Miss Urelie Spraggins was pretty
and young and hearty too, and her
rosy checks afd laughing, brown
eyes made ma.eev bows heart 90
pit-a-pat, and there was not u boy
in all Buncombe county who would
deny that. But alas! Poor girl, she
was Just little deaf. If you do not
know all the woe contained in that
announcement yoH my consider
yourself but slightly acquainted with
this life's ills.
| jake Rickson had come into the
neighborhood from a distant state to
visit his grandfather Now his
grandfather was neighbor of
Squire Spraggins and the Spraggins
boys came over and invited him to
a corn shucking to come off the fol-
lowing Tuesday.
jake had had glimpse at church
Of brown-eyed Urelie and 50 he
thought he would like to go TO the
corn shucking.
But Tuesday seemed a long time
off, Jake was young and he had a
very curious feeling abolt his heart
whenever he thought about Squire
Spraggins' pretty daughter.
Monday evening he plucked up
courage to ask his grandpa for a
horse and the old man, who was
really very fond of the boy, said
"Wall boy, yer kin take my nag,
but it haint every young whipper-
snapper gifts ride on her. Whar
We goin' ~ jake blushed. He
was young enough and honest
enough for that-he blushed and he
gave his ear little jerk and said /:
s'Down the road a piece, gran'pa. It's
a purity evenin', en- | thought |
would like to try the nag's pace.
He was not deviating from the
path Of truth 1t was a lovely ev-
ening and he was very Ssnd of try
ing the pace of any nag he could
mount
He soon had the horse saddled,
then he went to the end of the piaz-
"a and scrubbed both face and hands,
"slicked up" his hair, and drawing
from his pocket a bright, blue neck
tie, somewhat the worse for its rest
ing place, he put it on and mounted.
The little nag, gentle enough for
the old master, knew well enough
when young bones were on her, and
though jake held her in, until the
road turned, they were soon dashing
along.
cts two miles to Squire Sprag-
gins and the suns an hour high. |
don't want ter go in. Pm lister
goin' ter ride by thar accidently on
purpose" he said, and laughed
aloud in his glee.
The road lay in the valley of a
creek and was as level as if the
mountains did not lift their regal
heads all around him. He
flew over the road until he came in
sight of the Squire's house, then
slackened his pace to walk, as if he
had no special object in view, and
all day before him. He kept his
eve on the porch. Yes, there was
the Squire, and-and-yes. There
was Miss Urelie by his side, and
Zeb and Cling, the two Spraggins
boys at the gate. OF course the boys
stopped embarrassing the mules, and
of course Urelie put down her knit
ting, and of course the Squire laid
down his newspaper, and 50 they al
saw jake
"Hello. Rickson' cried Zeb,
"Whar you goin' this time a day %
"Good evenin', . says the Squire
"Wont We light ?"
"I don't low I orter" says Jake
taking off his hat to Miss Urelie
with bow as fine as city boys,
and blushing as red as peony the
while. "Gran'pa jist let me try his
nag a leetle while an I'm afeerd he
mought think as how She 5 throw
me-"
The boys laughed and the Squire
too, and Urelie, she knitted awhile
then she smiled then looked ur
awhile and then down at her knit
ting, and with every stitch she en-
tangled poor Jakie's heart the more
"Well, anyhow yer'e cummin' tc
the shuckin' termorror evenin',
said Cling. "Lots Nv folks ell be
here, en- thar'H be that many purity
gurls you never seen the like NV
down your way" jake cast F.;
most ;admiring and acqutiescent
glance towards Urelie, to which sho
responded with another of those be
wildering smiles and the boy was
| speechless for a moment. Then re
covering himself he gave the nag {
| jerk and said:
"Well, good mornin' to yer all,
I'll see ye sure yesterday .evenin'. /"
to which blundering remark th'
boys responded by roars of laughter
They thought it was a joke!
All the next day he loafed abou
the house and cast uneasy glances a
the clock.
/ At last four o'clock came. III